Former U.S. Ambassadors

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 20 January 2017 The past 2.5 years have been truly exceptional for me and my family. That is because of the people of Switzerland and Liechtenstein: the students, …

On December 5, Ambassador Suzi LeVine and Eric LeVine visited Uzwil Oberstufe to learn about the students’ participation in the GLOBE program . Second-year students presented their research on leaf growth which they had gathered over the course of the school year. Their attention to data integrity and keen observation skills demonstrated how much young people can accomplish when …

Since the dawn of our democracy, the American Dream has been about opportunity and the fact that anyone from anywhere in society can pursue and achieve a life where they are safe to live, love, and be happy. What I love about this is that we’ve also exported this as a global dream! But in …

On Tuesday, November 15th, Ambassador Suzan LeVine delivered a speech at Akademie der Generationen, a forum for learning based in Solothurn. More than 150 participants from businesses, government, education and even students from a local high school came to hear her address: “Switzerland and the U.S: Learning Together.” Ambassador LeVine highlighted the strong and enduring …

Dialogue at ABB with Ambassador LeVine and Eric LeVine. Before an audience of more than female 50 management level ABB staff, Ambassador Suzi LeVine and her husband Eric LeVine held a dialogue with Chief Human Resources Officer Jean-Christophe Deslarzes about the importance of diversity in the workplace. Not only is a diverse team important for …

U.S. Embassy Bern hosted an all-night election watching party starting midnight on November 9. Democracy enthusiasts, friends of the United States, students and journalists came to the event which was open to the general public. The evening celebrated not only the American presidential election but also cultural exchange: two Swiss bands entertained guests with bluegrass …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 October 2016 This is the English translation of the recent OnePage.li magazine – a Liechtenstein magazine in German. It was written by me, Suzi LeVine, U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 October 2016 In the spring of 2005, I went to Washington, D.C. with an advocacy group to encourage Congress to support the issues about which we cared. …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 October 2016 A Presidential election is broken down into three parts – the pre-election, the primary season, and the general election. The pre-election season is when candidates …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 October 2016 What is Grassroots Campaigning? And how, exactly does grassroots work – especially as it blends with big data? These examples best demonstrate this combination: Grassroots …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 October 2016 During the general election – which we’re in right now – one of the most challenging things can be parsing the news – especially given …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 October 2016 In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, if you are a citizen and 18 years or older, you can vote. Also – the process of voting in federal …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 October 2016 Election night 2008 will be forever etched in our minds – yes, because of the results. But also because it was a great moment of …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 October 2016 1789 — George Washington is unanimously elected president of the United States in a vote by state electors. 1870 — Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution …

On October 20 and 21, Ambassador Suzan LeVine and her husband, Mr. Eric LeVine, hosted a high-level delegation from Microsoft headed by President Brad Smith as well as a JP Morgan Chase executive. Microsoft had expressed particular interest in how the Swiss Vocational Education and Training system works, meeting with apprentices, and comparing programs to …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 2 October 2016 Eric and I just filled out our ballots and celebrated our right to a voice and a vote! This year was especially exciting because I’ve …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 September 2016 Today, Eric, my son and I had the chance to attend and participate in the Interreligious Women’s Parliament held at Bern’s House of Religions. It was an …

Dear Heidi, dear spiritual leaders, dear fellow people who care about making the world a better place — ladies and a few gentlemen — thank you so much for inviting us here today to the House of Religions for this Women’s Interreligious Congress! It is such an honor to be here among you! First, I …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 18 September 2016 In my first few months of this position, many asked me whether I intended to visit all 26 of the Swiss Cantons. I didn’t and …

On August 26, 2016, Senior VP and CEO Power Services Paul McElhinney and his team welcomed Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine and her husband, Mr. Eric LeVine, at the GE plant in Birr. Ambassador LeVine and Mr. LeVine toured the plant and met with a number of apprentices who were working on different elements of the …

On August 29, 2016, Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine and her husband, Mr. Eric LeVine, met with CEO Dr. Christoph Loos and his team at the Liechtenstein-based Hilti facility in Schaan to discuss Hilti’s footprint in the U.S. as well as its vocational education program in Liechtenstein. Hilti is a leading manufacturer and supplier of …

U.S. Embassy Bern has led a series of initiatives over the past year in celebration of the U.S. National Parks Service’s 100th anniversary. On one hand, the goal of these activities was to highlight the value our two countries share of protecting and enjoying the great outdoors. On the other hand, U.S Embassy Bern wanted …

On Tuesday July 19, the U.S. Embassy welcomed U.S. cycling team Trek-Segafredo for a coffee break as part of their rest day activities in Bern. The team, which includes Swiss rider and local hero Fabian Cancellera, U.S. rider Peter Stetina and current #2 in the overall race, Bauke Mollema, stopped by the Ambassador’s Residence where …

Following an invite by Mattias Nutt to join the local GRTweetBier meet up, Ambassador LeVine and her husband, Eric, decided to spend a whole day in Chur and get to know the capital of Canton Graubünden. Their visit started off at a training session of the Kantonspolizei Graubünden. They got to see the trainees in …

I was asked to speak this evening briefly about what tradition means to Americans. When I hear that word “Tradition,” I’m reminded of the musical, Fiddler on the Roof – have you seen it? As an American Jewish woman descended from eastern European Jews, it had a special meaning for me growing up. The musical …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 17 July 2016 One of the Swiss companies that has chosen to deploy their Swiss apprenticeship model in their US facilities is Mikron Automation. They kicked off their …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 17 July 2016 <This is a note I received from Mikron Automation in Colorado from one of their summer interns with her reflections on this chance she is …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 17 July 2016 <Mike Gunner is the General Manager for Mikron Automation in Colorado. With the catalytic energy provided by the Mikron CEO in Switzerland, Mike and team …

Excellencies, State Secretary Dell’Ambrogio, Members of the National and Cantonal Governments, Damen und Herren, and fellow people who care about the world Guten Abig, Bonsoir, Buena Sera, Buno Saira Before I begin my remarks, I want to give special thanks to a few folks. To my amazing husband and family – You inspire me every …

Bonjour! Thank you, Dr. Moser (Farnaz) and Professor Vetterli. It is such an honor for us to be here with you today! I’d like to introduce you all, also, to my husband, Eric. As a woman leader, I want to make sure you all meet the person who supports what I do. He is a …

Thank you Zurich Pride for the invitation to be here today to address this amazing group! In the fall of 1995, I moved in with Eric LeVine. We were 26 years old, unmarried and happy as could be – especially since he was (and is) a great cook and I am a great eater! By …

On June 11, Ambassador LeVine, along with her husband Eric, led a delegation of diplomatic representatives in the Zurich Pride march. Before the march kicked off, Ambassador LeVine delivered opening remarks , addressed this year’s Pride theme – TeamForLove — focusing on the love that binds all families together regardless of the parents’ sexual orientation. She …

Professor Guzzella, Professor Zuber, esteemed members of academia and members of the business community, I couldn’t be more grateful for today’s invitation and the opportunity to address you here, and to learn from you as our two nations work together to address one of the greatest challenges in human history: climate change. As many of …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 1 June 2016 When I first met Martin Senn, he shared with me the mantra for the work he oversaw at Zürich Insurance Group: “We Care”. His adherence …

On May 25 Ambassador LeVine and her husband, Eric, visited the customs museum in Gandria, to view the special exhibition organized by the anti-piracy organization Stop Piracy. The exhibit, “Beguiling Appearance, Murky Shadows, ” focuses on the importance of protecting intellectual property rights. Along for the visit were Swiss musician IVO and Cecile Drexel from …

On May 24, 2016, Ambassador LeVine and her husband, Eric, traveled to Zurich to meet with members of the Zurich Cantonal Government and talk about the growth of Swiss start-ups. While there, they also met with the South Pole Group to learn more about how the private sector can help reduce carbon emissions. Later, the …

Inflection Point Thank you so much to Academic Director Dr. Ron Daniel, the Board of Directors, and, of course, Webster Geneva’s director Dr. Clementina Acedo for the invitation and honor to be here with you here today! To the 137 new graduates and your family and friends who are here today – congratulations! Scholars, Graduates, …

On May 3rd, Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine and her husband Eric LeVine welcomed an investment delegation at their residence to discuss the many advantages the greater Houston area has for foreign companies. Participants included representatives from Conroe/the Greater Houston Partnership as well as a select group of Swiss business leaders. The greater Houston area is …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 28 April 2016 This blog is guest written by my husband, Eric LeVine. Apart from being a successful entrepreneur and technologist, Eric has also focused heavily on Jewish …

On Tuesday April 26, Ambassador LeVine and her husband Mr. Eric LeVine visited the Adolphe Merkle Institute at the University of Fribourg. The visit consisted of a round table with graduate and post-doc students followed by a presentation to students, professors, institution leaders, and cantonal officials. In the round table discussion on work-life continuum, Ambassador …

As part of the Embassy’s ongoing educational outreach, Ambassador Suzi LeVine and her husband, Eric LeVine, visited the Academy for Journalism and Media of the University Neuchatel. She gave a presentation to students who are pursuing a Master’s degree in journalism in a class taught by SRF presenter Stephan Klapproth and RTS Editor-in-Chief Patrick Nussbaum. …

On April 20, Ambassador Suzan LeVine, her husband, Eric LeVine, as well as an investment delegation from South Carolina welcomed a distinguished group of Swiss business leaders from medical, life science, IT, renewable energy, machinery and space industries at an investment forum in Bern. In her opening remarks, Ambassador LeVine highlighted South Carolina’s diverse market, …

On April 19, SICPA Chairman and CEO Philippe Amon and his team hosted Ambassador Suzan LeVine and her husband, Eric LeVine, at its Prilly office. Founded in 1927, SICPA is one of Switzerland’s true success stories. The company provides secure identification, traceability and authentication solutions and services to governments – including the ink for U.S. …

As part of our youth outreach campaign, Ambassador LeVine and her husband Mr. Eric LeVine visited schools in Sion, Sierre, and Zurich on Wednesday, April 13, and Thursday, April 14. The Ambassador spoke about the American presidential election system, explaining how delegate selection, primaries and caucuses, and grassroots organizing contribute to democratically electing a leader …

On April 5, 2016, Ambassador LeVine and her husband, Eric, traveled to Valais to meet with local officials of the canton of Valais. During the visit, Ambassador and Mr. LeVine met with President Jacques Melly, Vice-President Esther Waeber-Kalbermatten, Cantonal Chancellor Philipp Spoerri, President of the Valais parliament Nicolas Voide, Cantonal Prosecutor of Valais Nicolas Dubuis, …

Ambassador LeVine and her husband, Eric LeVine, met with Impact Hub Zürich members on Thursday, March 10, to learn about how this socially-engaged entrepreneurial community supports start-ups. Program Director Niels Rot gave a tour of Impact Hub’s latest office space dedicated to helping young companies collaborate and contribute to a better world, and facilitated a dialogue with representative …

Embassy Bern places a high priority on meeting with Swiss students to discuss U.S. policy, the work of the Embassy and to share information on current developments in the U.S., such as the presidential elections. As a part of this ongoing educational outreach, Ambassador Suzan LeVine, along with her husband Eric LeVine, visited two schools …

On February 22, 2016, Ambassador LeVine and her husband, Eric, traveled to Basel to meet with local officials of the canton of Basel Stadt. During the discussion, the Ambassador highlighted recent progress in introducing the Swiss apprenticeship model to the U.S. with the collaboration of Swiss firms. While in Basel, Ambassador LeVine met with the …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 13 February 2016 A couple of weeks ago, I had a sequence of experiences over a 4 day period that really demonstrate the strength, innovation, and investment in …

On February 10, Ambassador Suzi LeVine met with students of the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz who participate in the ConnectUS program. The Ambassador gave the students an overview of the U.S. presidential elections, focusing on how the U.S. primary and general election works and the importance of grassroots voter mobilization. She also explained how the U.S. and Switzerland …

On Wednesday, February 10, MassChallenge launched the opening of its start-up accelerator program in Geneva, Switzerland. Speaking to the crowd of more than 350 entrepreneurs and hopefuls, Ambassador LeVine described the fundamental elements to cultivating a rich culture of innovation: remove the stigma from failure because it is an important aspect of learning. Not only …

Ambassador LeVine, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu, and Swiss Ambassador to the U.S. Martin Dahinden join representatives of Zurich North America and Harper College to mark the official launch of an innovative, first-of-its-kind U.S. apprenticeship program for the insurance industry. Zurich North America is a participant in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship …

Every day as she interacts with people in Switzerland, Suzi LeVine, U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, gets questions about the U.S. election. Here are the most frequently asked questions and her answers — just as the U.S. Presidential election begins in earnest: Monday, February 1 is the Iowa caucus, the first chance for voters …

On January 29, 2016, Ambassador Suzan LeVine joined Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann at Biogen’s next-generation biologics manufacturing facility Groundbreaking Ceremony in Luterbach. Founded in Switzerland, the now Massachusetts-headquartered biotech company is expanding its manufacturing footprint in Switzerland with the construction of this new site, slated to be operational in early 2019. George A. Scangos, CEO …

On January 5, Ambassador LeVine kicked off the annual Zurich Winterrede series organized by the Karl der Grosse Center and the City of Zurich. In the free speech tradition of the Hyde Park Speaker’s Corner, Winterrede invites speakers from the world of arts, politics, science and diplomacy to speak their minds from a window overlooking …

Hope Lives but it Needs Your Help Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo? Oh – sorry – the last time I saw a window and balcony used for an address, it was for Shakespeare…. Thank you so much to the City of Zurich and the Zentrum Karl der Grosse for the honor of having this Window …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 28 December 2015 Below is the English version of my opinion piece that published Sunday, December 27, 2015, in Schweiz am Sonntag. The question posed by Schweiz am …

On December 8, 2015, Ambassador LeVine travelled to the Canton of Jura to meet with local officials. While in Jura, the Ambassador visited the towns of Porrentruy, Delemont, and Glovelier. In Porrentruy, the Ambassador LeVine toured the technical division of the Jura Center for Education and Training. There, she was able to witness first-hand the benefits …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 6 December 2015 I had the opportunity to contribute an article on Meine Weihnacht (my Christmas) in Die Weltwoche – a major Swiss publication. I’m appreciative of this …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 30 November 2015 This week, leaders from across the globe are gathering in Paris for COP 21, the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 3 November 2015 It is National Apprenticeship Week in the United States this week. Why? Because President Obama said so (in this Proclamation ). Okay – that’s all well and good, but …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 23 October 2015 On a recent trip to Ticino, Eric and I took the opportunity, along with some of my Embassy team, to visit the southern Swiss border …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 27 September 2015 Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had a chance to view collaborations between our nations to explore frontiers that are key to our curiosity …

On September 24, Ambassador LeVine welcomed legislators and officials from the State of Utah to the U.S. Embassy Bern to discuss economic opportunities for Swiss businesses in Utah, economic opportunities for Utah businesses in Switzerland, and bilateral workforce development. A number of Swiss companies currently do business in Utah, and a number of additional Swiss …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 21 September 2015 Last year, I introduced the concept of Cheshbon Nefesh in this post (accounting of the soul) – where one looks back at what they’ve accomplished and looks …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 11 September 2015 It was an early morning in Seattle and my husband and I were carpooling across a bridge over a lake in Seattle when the radio …

On September 7, Helsinn CEO Dr. Riccardo Braglia greeted Ambassador SuzanLeVine at Helsinn’s Biasca plant in Ticino, Switzerland. During the visit, Ambassador LeVine discussed Helsinn’s position in the global pharmaceuticals market, its footprint in the United States, and the challenges it faces doing business in the United States. Ambassador LeVine also met the leadership of …

On September 3, Ambassador LeVine spoke to an audience of more than 200 business executives and dignitaries at a business symposium on Mount Pilatus in central Switzerland. Attendees included high ranking business officials, Swiss politicians, and academics. Switzerland’s Vice President Federal Councilor Johann Schneider-Ammann was also in attendance. During her keynote address, Ambassador LeVine highlighted …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 12 August 2015 The question “How would you describe Liechtenstein to a farmer in Kansas in three sentences?” was recently asked as a part of an interview I did …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 9 August 2015 “We have not inherited this land from our forebears, we have borrowed it from our children.” In other words, we study the past so it …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 3 July 2015 On Friday, June 26, I had the honor of speaking at the 20th anniversary commencement of the Executive MBA program between the University of Rochester …

Excellencies, Ambassador Guex, Ambassador Frick, Ambassador Hamamoto and Ambassador Wood from the United States Mission Geneva; Damen und Herren, Grüssich Mittenand, Welcome! It is such a pleasure to look out and see all of you here and to have you celebrate the birthday of the United States of America with us! Before I go into …

Members of the Chamber, Excellencies, Friends, Colleagues – thank you once again for the opportunity to spend this evening with all of you. Before I begin my brief remarks here, let me give a special thank you to Martin Naville and his exceptional management team at the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce – within this country, there …

Rochester-Bern Executive MBA Commencement Address: As Leaders – 10 Ideas for Your Business Repertoire Thank you so much to the University of Rochester and the University of Bern for the invitation to be here with you all on such a special and important occasion! It’s especially meaningful for me to be here at the graduation …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 20 June 2015 It was incredible to be there with my fellow members of the global diplomatic corps and to have such a stupendous crowd gathered from across …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 14 June 2014 On my recent visit to Liechtenstein, I had the opportunity to visit 2 companies, meet with students at the University of Liechtenstein, and sit down …

Ambassador LeVine and an investment development delegation from the state of Colorado welcomed a distinguished group of Swiss business leaders from aviation, life science, IT, fashion, machinery, and energy industries at an investment forum held at her residence in Bern. In her opening remarks, Ambassador LeVine highlighted Colorado’s vast and diverse market, favorable demographics, highly …

The Swiss Economic Forum welcomed Ambassador LeVine at a speaking event on the Swiss dual-track Vocational Education and Training (VET) program. Ambassador LeVine was joined by Swiss government officials, private industry and from Swiss universities. The panelists stressed the fact that in Switzerland apprenticeships are valued as a great alternative to a college education with …

On June 4, Dr. Alicia Soderberg, Professor in Astrophysics at Harvard University and one of the first scientists to observe supernovas – the catastrophic death of a star — spoke with students at Gymnasium Hofwil in Münchenbuchsee about her work. She went into detail about how she detected the supernova. She was one of the …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 1 June 2015 On this, the first anniversary of my landing here (2 June 2014) – I want to thank all of you across Switzerland and Liechtenstein for welcoming me …

(Following introduction) Thank you so much…. It is a real honor to join you here this afternoon. Before we begin, I want to quickly recognize and welcome my counterpart from the Swiss Embassy, Ambassador Martin Dahinden, as well as my friends and colleagues from the United States Department of Commerce – Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 17 March 2015 The Jewish holiday of Passover commemorates the Exodus story, which shares that, thousands of years ago, Moses led my ancestors out of slavery in Egypt. …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 4 May 2015 In 1776 and 1848, when the United States and Switzerland were founded – respectively, they were among very few democracies. Over the centuries, how we …

Patrick Firmenich, Vice Chairman of the Board, and Gilbert Ghostine, CEO, welcomed Ambassador LeVine and her team to the Firmenich Research facility in Geneva. Swiss and family-owned, Firmenich is the world’s largest privately-held fragrance and flavor company and number two in its industry, with $3 billion in sales in fiscal year 2014. The company has …

On April 30, Feintool CEO Heinz Loosli hosted Ambassador LeVine and her team at Feintool, headquarters in Lyss, Switzerland. Feintool develops and manufactures tools and presses, as well as high-precision, custom parts and components for the global automotive industry. During the visit Ambassador LeVine and Feintool staff discussed Feintool’s footprint in the USA as well …

Thank you for including me in this opening of the mosque at this unique and wonderful institution, the House of Religions. Though we have many different backgrounds represented here today, I believe the fact we are all sharing this room is testament to the peace and solidarity we are all working toward. This is an …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 6 April 2015 Over the past 10 months, I’ve made a concerted effort to visit those Swiss companies with or considering a meaningful US footprint. A few weeks …

The U.S. Men’s Soccer Team, in Switzerland for an International Friendly match against the Swiss National Team, invited Ambassador LeVine and representatives of the Swiss Special Olympics team to a training session in Zurich on Sunday, March 29. Coach Jürgen Klinsmann welcomed Ambassador LeVine and four Swiss Special Olympians, Numa Nunez, Mauro Facciolo, Fabienne Waelti …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 12 March 2015 A few weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Firmenich, a unique and wonderful company in Geneva who has a major footprint in …

On March 6, Roche CEO Severin Schwan greeted Ambassador LeVine at Roche headquarters in Basel. Operating two divisions – Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics – and employing over 20,000 people in the United States, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare. While at Roche, Ambassador LeVine met with a number of U.S. citizens in a town hall …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 8 March 2015 Here’s the link to watch the speech. A couple of weeks ago, I visited Gymnasium Oberaargau (or Gym/O) in Langenthal. As I’ve said many times, students ask phenomenal …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 8 March 2015 I have always (literally always – as I know that the year I was born was when James Taylor was getting traction) loved James Taylor’s …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 8 March 2015 There are many articles coming out now that are heralding the end of Ebola – or at least a dramatic reduction in the What is …

On Thursday, February 26, Ambassador LeVine visited the Bildungszentrum Langenthal to meet students and educators and talk about current U.S. policies, the U.S. school system, and how women’s empowerment has expanded the range of life choices men and women can make in the 21st century. Ambassador Suzan LeVine and the Embassy delegation were greeted by …

On February 26, Ambassador LeVine and U.S. Embassy staff visited Bystronic Laser AG’s headquarters in Niederönz. They were met by Bystronic’s CEO Alex Waser and CCO Jean-Pierre Neuhaus, who gave them a tour of the facilities. During the tour, Ambassador LeVine learned about the company history and saw a demonstration of some of the equipment, …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 22 February 2015 If I only do one thing during my time as Ambassador – that one thing – the very top priority and essence of my job …

On February 11, 2015, Ambassador LeVine welcomed a high-level investment delegation from Jefferson County, Colorado at the U.S. residence in Bern. Attendees at the gathering included leading members of the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation, as well as executive members of the world renowned Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus , which has its North American headquarters in …

On February 4, Ambassador LeVine addressed over 400 officials from the travel and tourism industry from Switzerland, Germany and the United States at the Visit USA Seminar at the Mövenpick Hotel and Conference Center in Regensdorf. Ambassador LeVine highlighted some of the top travel destinations in the United States, including the “two Washingtons” — Washington …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 5 February 2015 On Sunday night/Monday morning, even though my Seahawks didn’t win the Superbowl, I feel like I had a big win because I got to learn …

Over 50 Swiss American Football fans and enthusiasts joined Ambassador LeVine at her Residence in the early morning hours of February 2 for a Super Bowl viewing party. Athletes from the Swiss American Football National Team, players and managers from several of the Swiss league teams, sportswriters, and fans gathered at the Residence to watch …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 1 February 2015 What follows is the English version of an op-ed that ran today – February 1, 2015 – in the NZZ am Sonntag . Why do I have a passion …

Thank you so much, Esther, for that introduction and for the opportunity to be here with you today! Please allow me to acknowledge a couple of people in the room before I begin: Former Federal Councillor, Elisabeth Kopp, and Norman H. Gershman, Photographer and initiator/founder of the Besa-Project – thank you so much for all …

On January 15 Ambassador LeVine spoke to more than 70 participants at a luncheon in Geneva jointly organized by the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce and the International Club of Geneva. In her remarks, Ambassador LeVine highlighted her priorities, including increasing economic ties between Switzerland and the United States, encouraging more cooperation on security and development …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 9 January 2015 On Wednesday, I had the incredible honor of being invited to present to and have a conversation with the UBS Moms@Work group – an affinity …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 5 January 2015 One of the core values we share between Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the United States is a deep respect for the environment. Therefore, as we head …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 3 January 2015 I have found in this job that the only commonalities across weeks are that they are very varied and that they give me the opportunity to …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 31 December 2014 Goodbye 2014 – What an extraordinary year you have been! Welcome 2015 – I’m looking forward to seeing what you bring! So much has happened, …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 27 November 2014 One of the traditions my family practices during Thanksgiving is to take a moment to recognize that for which we’re thankful from the previous year. …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 23 November 2014 This week was a great example that, in this job, no two weeks, nevermind two days, are the same. It was also an example of …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 16 November 2014 I don’t know about you, but I find that, no matter how much time I plan before I need to make a train, I get …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 10 November 2014 I suspect that some non-zero percentage of my blood is coffee (albeit decaf). I had my first latte during my first major job interview and …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 22 October 2014 “It is emphatically the province and duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is.” – Chief Justice John Marshall in Marbury v. Madison …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 1 October 2014 Over the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to see an extraordinary amount of power here in Switzerland – but not the kind of power …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 29 September 2014 I know this post is about the United States, but before I kick into gear on Direct Democracy in the US, I want to quickly …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 28 September 2014 In his UN General Assembly speech , President Obama spoke about partnerships and how, only by coming together, would we be able to address the world’s toughest challenges as …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 24 September 2014 Tonight starts Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New Year. Shana Tova! A Sweet New Year to all! This will be my first time spending the …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 11 September 2014 Last week – on Sept 4th – I had the extreme honor of closing out the Tages-Anzeiger Women’s Forum. This was a daylong event with …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 10 September 2014 I arrived in Switzerland 100 days ago. Listening. Learning. Absorbing. I came in with abundant knowledge gained from briefings, I had traveled to Switzerland twice …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 4 September 2014 I don’t very often have a complete turnaround in my thoughts and perceptions (I suspect that’s the case with most people). Fortunately, I went into …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 16 August 2014 Okay – maybe the title is a bit much – but by the end of my visit there, I was feeling pretty excellent. Summary: Last …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 7 August 2014 Direct Democracy has some variation in its application across the world, but is fundamentally the concept that the people get to make the law. Representative …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 4 August 2014 In my recent Independence Day remarks , I talked about the solid foundation we have for the relationship between our nations and that we need to remember to celebrate …

July 30, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. CEO Markus Bucher and the members of Pilatus’ board welcomed Ambassador LeVine to the Pilatus manufacturing facility in Stans, Switzerland. As the sole Swiss company that develops, produces and sells aircraft to customers around the world, Pilatus plays a critical role in Switzerland’s aviation industry. Its flagship aircraft, the single-engine …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 29 July 2014 One of the first questions I’m asked is whether I plan to visit all 26 cantons during my time here. Well – I have some …

Petra Jenner, Country Manager at Microsoft Switzerland, welcomed Ambassador LeVine at the Microsoft campus in Wallisellen, Switzerland on June 30. During the visit, Country Manager Jenner and Ambassador LeVine discussed the advantages of having been in operation in Switzerland for the past 25 years, the role of social media, talent recruitment and the importance of …

Monday, July 21st Nima Farzan, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of immunization technology firm PaxVax welcomed Ambassador LeVine to PaxVax’s newly acquired facility near Bern, Switzerland. In spite of the facility’s recent renovation and long and storied history as part of Swiss vaccine technology legend Crucell AG, the facility was facing closure. …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 18 July 2014 On Wednesday, I was honored to be able to attend the Montreux Jazz Festival and got a chance to see Stevie Wonder – WOW – …

On July 10, Ambassador LeVine visited a team of Google software engineers in Zurich, the largest Google engineering center outside of the United States with over 1300 employees. During the visit, Engineering Vice-President Oliver Heckmann outlined Zurich’s competitive advantage in attracting global talent, including access to top research institutions (i.e. both Swiss Federal Institutes of …

On July 10, Ambassador LeVine visited the Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd (or “Swiss Re”), one of the world’s largest and most successful reinsurance companies. During the Ambassador’s visit she discussed U.S. priorities in Switzerland with Swiss Re’s COO Thomas Wellauer, as well as the significant role Swiss RE has played in recent U.S. crises including …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 6 July 2014 Has it really only been a month? And did all that happened this past week really only happen within 7 days? It feels like just …

Guten Abend, bon soir, buonasera! Now that I have delivered my credentials to Prince Alois of Liechtenstein last week and President Burkhalter here two days ago, I can welcome you to the Residence in my official capacity as the US Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. I especially welcome Ambassador Guex and Ambassador Frick. Before anything, …

On July 1, Ambassador LeVine addressed the Annual General Meeting of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce. Ambassador LeVine was joined by Swiss Ambassador to the United States Manuel Sager as well as former Deutsche Bank CEO and Swiss national Josef Ackerman. In her remarks, Ambassador LeVine highlighted the vital and active role the Swiss-American Chamber …

On June 30, 2014, Ambassador Suzan LeVine visited the Swiss Landesmuseum in Zürich, where she met with Marco Castellaneta, Head of Museum Operations, Dr. Heidi Amrein, Head of Collections & Documentation and Pascale Meyer, who gave the Ambassador a tour of the museum. The Ambassador enjoyed the opportunity to not only hear more about Swiss …

On June 30, 2014, Ambassador Suzan LeVine met with members of the Swiss Game Developers Association (SGDA) and Game Design Students for a roundtable discussion. The group shared their thoughts on the current state of the Swiss game developing scene and told the Ambassador about the challenges and possibilities they face in Switzerland. The SGDA …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 25 June 2014 On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to visit CERN in Geneva. I went for two reasons: As a self-professed geek… well – that’s reason in and …

On June 23, Tom Intrator, President & CEO and Dominique Le Doeuil, VP Finance of Cargill International SA welcomed Ambassador Suzan LeVine to the company’s headquarters in Geneva. Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services throughout the world. In total, Cargill has over 143,000 employees in 67 countries. Cargill has been in …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 20 June 2014 Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be General Ralph Tate Sr. when, while piloting a search plane, you see the flare …

Ambassador LeVine spoke to more than 150 attendees at a “Welcome to Zürich” luncheon organized by the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce. She told the crowd that she planned focus during her tenure on increasing economic ties between Switzerland and the United States, encourage more cooperation on security and development around the world, and increase awareness …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 16 June 2014 Seattle: Switzerland/Liechtenstein The 2nd most popular question I’ve received since I’ve been here has been “Doesn’t it rain a lot in Seattle?” Well, yes it …

Ambassador LeVine and members of the U.S. Embassy participated in the Zurich Pride to march for equal rights for LGBT members of the Swiss community. She was shown around by the Vice-President of Zurich Pride, Alan Sangines. Attending the Zurich Pride as part of her listening tour, Ambassador LeVine discussed with several groups the issues …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 12 June 2014 Yesterday, my e-reader became a part of the permanent collection at the Museum für Kommunikation . I was profoundly honored to have been asked to donate my device, …

On June 12, 2014, Professor Jürg Dual, President of the Swiss American Society, welcomed Ambassador Suzi LeVine to the organization’s Annual General Meeting at the Au Premier Restaurant in Zürich. Ambassador LeVine‘s remarks were warmly welcomed by the attendees, as she outlined a general view of her priorities as Ambassador to Switzerland and the Principality …

Today, on June 11, 2014, U.S. Ambassador Suzan LeVine donated her eReader to the Museum für Kommunikation. The Ambassador’s use of the electronic device for her swearing-in on May 30th, 2014, caused an international stir. In her remarks, Ambassador LeVine explained her reasons for using her eReader at the swearing-in ceremony and noted that she …

This post is part of an archived series of blogs called The LeVine Line, written by former Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine during her time at U.S. Embassy Bern. 10 June 2014 Welcome! I’m incredibly humbled and honored by this opportunity to build bridges between our nations! In light of that, for my inaugural post, I want …

Ambassador Suzi LeVine has arrived in Bern by way of London and Zürich along with her family. The new Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein greeted the local U.S. Marine detachment and spoke briefly to the press at the Chief of Mission Residence in Bern.

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